FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2004
Contact: Josh Freed
(202) 225-4431
 
 
 WASHINGTON, DC –  The U.S. House of Representatives today gave hope to more than 1 million Americans living with juvenile diabetes when it passed a proposal authored by U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) to significantly improve patients’ access to islet cell transplantation, a critical new treatment for this disease.

“Today, the House took a critical step to help greatly improve the lives of the more than 1 million Americans affected by juvenile diabetes.  By passing this proposal, we will remove barriers to pancreatic islet cell transplantations for patients with diabetes,” said Rep. DeGette. “For a person with juvenile diabetes this change is life altering. It means no more needles and no more worry. It means that the question of what to eat no longer requires calculation or cause for alarm.  For these patients, islet cell transplantation means freedom.”

Pancreatic islet cell transplantation is a procedure that infuses new insulin-producing cells into an individual with juvenile diabetes. So far, this procedure has been performed in more than 300 people and a majority of these islet cell recipients no longer need to inject themselves with insulin.  Unfortunately, until now, access to this procedure has been slowed because of non-scientific roadblocks.  The Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Act of 2004 addresses these concerns by increasing the pancreas supply, disseminating information on this treatment and coordinating federal involvement in this procedure.

"Our goal at JDRF is to cure diabetes.  The approval of the PICT bill by the House of Representatives marks a significant step forward in that quest," said Peter Van Etten, President and CEO of JDRF.  "Their approval will move the very promising field of islet transplantation even further towards a cure for diabetes.  Moreover, we would like to acknowledge the leadership of Representatives DeGette and Nethercutt in passing this bill and helping us achieve our goal."

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